| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 14 Ohio State | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Michigan State | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Ohio State men's hockey earned its first Big Ten sweep of the season on Saturday night, defeating Michigan State by a final score of 4-3. Like last night's contest it was not the cleanest win in hockey history. However, when it was all said and done, it was still a victory.
The Buckeyes reeled off the game's first three goals. Two were power play tallies. Matt Miller continued to have himself a series, netting a man-advantage goal with help from fellow Matts, Joyaux and Weis. It was the third point of the week for Miller.
Freshman Matt Miller put the Buckeyes up 1-0 with a power play goal in the first period. https://t.co/CicmCws7Ve #GoBucks
— Ohio State M Hockey (@OhioState_MHKY) February 19, 2017
Ohio State led 1-0 after the first period. The Buckeyes began the middle frame on their second power play of the game. Nick Schilkey added to his already impressive totals with PPG No. 13 and overall tally No. 23.
Nick Schilkey scored his 23rd of the year (most for a Buckeye since 2005) in the 2nd period. https://t.co/T5jyfn5xhI #GoBucks
— Ohio State M Hockey (@OhioState_MHKY) February 19, 2017
Brendon Kearney blitzed the Spartan net with a third Buckeye tally just seconds after Schilkey’s goal. Fourth-liners Kearney and Kevin Miller have a combined five points in their last five games. It’s good to see these guys get on the board and it takes a bit of the load off the Bucks’ scoring leaders.
Brendon Kearney notched the Buckeyes' third goal of the game in the second period. https://t.co/Y94V63XPeW #GoBucks
— Ohio State M Hockey (@OhioState_MHKY) February 19, 2017
Ohio State outshot Michigan State 14-4 in the second period. Christian Frey may have been suffering a little ennui in the Buckeye net because the Spartans slipped two of those shots past him. Logan Lambdin cut the OSU lead to 3-1. Then MSU’s leading scorer Mason Appleton notched his eleventh goal of the year, narrowing the gap to 3-2.
Matt Weis stretched the OSU lead back to two goals with some quick hands off John Wiitala's faceoff win. The junior is not one of the team’s marquee names, but this score was point No. 27 on the year. Weis is one of six Buckeyes averaging better than a point per game.
GOAL!! WEIS buries it off the draw.
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) February 19, 2017
No 14 @OhioState_MHKY is back in control leading MSU 4-2 in the 3rd. https://t.co/S0mFYkOInn
The Spartans threatened late. Again they drew within a goal of the Bucks. Sam Saliba potted a power play tally at the 13:58 mark of the third period. However the Buckeyes managed to pull out a 4-3 victory and pick up a much needed Big Ten sweep.
| buckeye goal scorers (assists) | pd | time |
|---|---|---|
| PP - Matt Miller (Matt Joyaux, Matt Weis) | 1 | 12:17 |
| PP - Nick Schilkey (Dave Gust, Gordi Myer) | 2 | 1:18 |
| Brendon Kearney (Kevin Miller, Christian Lampasso) | 2 | 1:45 |
| Matt Weis (John Wiitala) | 3 | 1:48 |
Weis led the Bucks with two points, a goal and an assist. Frey finished with 16 saves and win No. 8 on the season. The Buckeye power play went 2-for-4 while the penalty kill thwarted three of MSU’s four attempts.
Ohio State returns to Columbus next week and resumes hostilities with Michigan. Games are currently scheduled for Friday at 7pm ET and Saturday at 5pm ET. Saturday's tilt will air live on BTN.
